A tuning firm based in Hampshire UK known as Litchfield is no stranger to upgrading fast small cars.
They said they have not “experienced such strong customer anticipation for aftermarket tuning products since the launch of the third-generation Ford Focus RS” when talking about the highly-praised Toyota GR Yaris.
It was, therefore, an easy decision for the company to take delivery of two production cars and begin an extensive programme of the engine and chassis testing.
Litchfield will shortly make available a full range of aftermarket parts for the GR Yaris, including performance exhaust systems, a bolt-in roll cage, a new intake system, an ECU tuning package, an uprated intercooler, polyurethane bushes and race seats.
They predict the suspension upgrade package will deliver “the most transformative improvement,” having worked with Oxfordshire suspension firm Nitron to develop a pair of new “high-performance” chassis set-ups. The upgrades are said to offer a lower ride height and improved ride quality without compromising the factory-specification car’s dynamic characteristics.
Development on the ECU tuning package for the GR Yaris is still ongoing, but initial tests suggest a 16 percent increase in power output to 300 hp (224 kW) is possible.